


A Decision

by deadestbreadest



Category: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24441937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadestbreadest/pseuds/deadestbreadest
Summary: After finally settling into life in Metropolis, Steve gets a message from back home.Inspired by the currently ongoing fic "New World, Same Old Problems" by RavenclawAngel
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	A Decision

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RavenclawAngel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenclawAngel/gifts).
  * Inspired by [New World, Same Old Problems](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23436034) by [RavenclawAngel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenclawAngel/pseuds/RavenclawAngel). 



Steve came to work to an absolute madhouse in the Daily Planet. Lois never looked happier.  
"What's going on?" he asked Jimmy as he ran by.  
"Lois! Fill in Steve! I'm getting your stuff ready!"  
Lois ran over to Steve, bright eyed and spoke all in one breath.  
"Some red light appeared in a park last night with this big ol' mysterious box that nobody can open and it has some kinda hand scanner lock thing and not even Superman can see inside it or break it." She was vibrating. "It had a STICKY NOTE of all things on it when it appeared!" Jimmy came by, dropping off a pile of photos.  
"What did the sticky note say?" Steve asked dutifully.  
Lois rustled in the nearby pile of photos, producing one. Steve looked at it and froze. It was clearly some kind of Stark Tech with Tony's handwriting on a pink sticky note that read "LONG TIME NO SEE, CAPSICLE. -XOXO"  
"Where... where is this box?"  
"The police currently have it. I think it has something to do with The Captain. I'm getting ready to go there right now with Clark to see if we can get closer or maybe see if The Captain comes to claim it!"  
Steve just nodded as Lois whisked herself away in a torrent of loosely contained excitement.

In a panicked haze, Steve found his way back home. He needed to see whatever message Tony sent to him. His heart clenched as he thought of home for the first time in a long time.  
He donned his uniform and looked at himself in the mirror. Deep calming breaths, he told himself. He left his shield behind purposefully and went to go get Stark's box from the police.

\--

When he arrives he sees groups from just about every government agency one could think of and probably some from ones you wouldn't know existed. He expected that. Steve walks right up to the front desk anyways and beams them his best smile.  
"Hey, fellas! I heard you got some of my mail here?"  
The desk clerk looks up at The Captain and awkwardly asks him to wait a moment as he calls somebody up.

An important looking man in a suit approached him. Steve knew he could easily just take the box and leave, but he would rather do this the right way, and the way least likely to cause harm and paranoia to people.  
"I don't suppose I could convince you to just let me walk out of here with it, can I?" He asked with a wry smile.  
"I'm guessing you know I can't do that, Captain."  
And the negotiations began.

Lois flew into the precinct about five minutes into their negotiations in a whirlwind of determination with Clark following behind. She walked right up to Steve and inputted herself seamlessly into the conversation.  
"The people have a right to know. I want to be there when you open that box."  
"So you don't care about my personal and human rights, Ms. Lane? That is a message for me. For lack of better words, that is my mail, ma'am." Lois wouldn't back down. She was like a dog with a bone and he knew she would be a pain in his ass to get rid of.  
"How about this," Steve addresses them both, "No cameras, listening, or recording devices. I'll open it in an interrogation room with everyone watching."  
"Not good enough. I want somebody in there with ears." The suit demands.  
Lois agrees, "I want to be in there too."  
Steve thinks for a moment, his eyes flick over to Clark, "I'll take one person in with me of my choosing. I will not back down on the recording or listening devices. That includes ones in the viewing room."  
"Who do you have in mind?" Suit asks.  
"I will allow Clark Kent in there with me. He can take notes of whatever he deems neccessary for both your paper and your reports."  
Everyone looks stunned for a moment, especially Clark, before they all agree.  
"To be perfectly clear again- if I see that any listening or recording devices are in that room, or I see them in the viewing room, I will destroy them without prejudice. I demand at least that much privacy and respect. I've told you this is a message for me. You've confirmed already to the best of your knowledge that the box is not dangerous. I am doing this to placate you all. I don't mind you watching. If I know who sent it, you'll all get a show. That's for certain."  
"Understood. I'll prepare your room. And know that we WILL be watching."  
"Thank you, sir."

\--

As Clark follows The Captain into the interrogation room, pen and pad of paper in hand, he once again wonders why he was chosen to accompany him. So he asks after he notices The Captain is done checking the room for devices.  
"Why me?"  
"Because you are Superman and I am Captain Steven Grant Rogers of the Howling Commandos and you are about to learn way too much about me and I figured you'd already be able to hear from the other room anyways."  
Clark freezes.  
"And I trust you, Clark," he adds with a smile.  
"Well, thank you? How did you know?"  
"I also can hear VERY well."  
Steve (Gosh that's weird to think of The Captain as Steve) walks up to the box and places his hand on the depression of a handprint. A voice from inside the box announces "Identity confirmed. Hello, Captain Rogers. Initializing message."

Clark was not prepared. A three dimensional image of a man in an AC/DC shirt appears above the box.  
"Heya, Capsicle! I know we didn't really apologize properly to each other, and I'm not sure if my plan will even work out, but if you're receiving this message, then it has! I hope you're enjoying the new home I picked out for you. See, I did kind of lie. I knew there would be people there and I do know how to get you back. It's a bit much to explain how and why and I know you prefer paper anyways, you ancient relic. So I'm giving all the files to you to read."  
Three absolutely huge files dispense themselves from the box to Steve's awaiting hands.  
The man continues, "Any video files noted can be accessed by voice command if you want to view them. And when you're done doing all your Captastical research into how amazing and smart and cool I am, you can listen to some messages from home and then... then you can decide if you want to come home. Lord knows Murdock's been up my ass with paperwork about getting you home ever since he figured out my plan. He's crazy and I want to keep him but he refuses to leave Hell's Kitchen! Steve, why would anyone want to stay in Hell's Kitchen of all places! Anyways, bye!"  
And with a jaunty wave, the man disappears. Clark had been so engrossed in the technical display that he hadn't even looked at Steve, who was stock still, frozen in shock.  
He then glances behind Steve to the viewing room window and sees Lois and 10 men in suits with jaws all on the floor.  
Clark grabs the chairs nearby and scoots them to Steve and they both sit down. Steve starts to read the files while Clark gets comfortable. This just turned into what looks to be a long day and a lot of reading.

\--

Steve couldn't believe it. Tony sent him to a handpicked Earth dimension to keep him safe from being experimented on in some terrible "prison" called "The Raft" while he worked to get Ross out of power and keep the Avengers and other vigilantes safe as he fixed the accords. What was he thinking taking this on by himself!? Steve understood, of course he did, but that didn't stop his indignant rage. And of course Tony did do all he set out to do for the entire superhero community at great personal cost. If Tony's plan hadn't worked, Steve would've just been in this dimension, safe and with a fresh start, and surrounded with people with which to start over with while Tony would be suffering under Ross. Idiot!

\--

Lois was both bored and enraptured watching The Captain read through those files that came out of the weird metal box ... contraption... thing. Sometimes he would get up and pace angrily as he read. Sometimes he would say something to the box and a video would play.  
Most videos were of some angry man in a strange futuristic looking, but clearly from Earth, office talking to other men. Each video either upset The Captain or made him very pensive.  
Mostly The Captain just sat there and read studiously through the files. Even the alphabet soup boys in the viewing room with her seemed a little bored. Clark didn't seem bothered by any of it, calmly talking to The Captain occasionally. Clark was not, however, taking very many notes, goddammit! She told him explicitly and coached him over and over before he went in there about how he had to take as many notes as he could and to make them as detailed as possible.  
Smallville was too kind for his own good.

After what felt like days and was probably only hours, The Captain set down all the files and spoke to the box again. A slew of different people showed up in turn to talk, like interviews playing one after the other. Lois tried to take mental note of all the people that popped up.  
A man with long hair and a metal arm. A black man in a uniform similar to The Captain's. A teenage boy who looked far too exuberant for his own well being bouncing as he talked. A blind man(?) in a suit. A redheaded woman with no facial expressions. A huge man with long blond hair and a hammer. Some regular looking white dude with a bow and quiver for some reason. A sad nerdy looking fella that reminded her of Clark. A large, regal looking, black man in a weird black suit that reminded her of the Batman rumors who was interrupted part way through by who had to be his sister. And then a whole mass of random people on the streets of a busy city that wasn't quite Metropolis, but similar. Groups of people talking in turn. Too many to keep note of. The Captain sat slumped as he watched the faces go by. Clark looked concerned.

\--

Steve was reeling from all the messages from home. Everyone was doing well and it would be safe for him to go back, except... he'd already made a new life for himself. He felt better than he had in a long time here. He had a job and friends. He felt like he had a place.  
Tony reappeared, interrupting his thoughts just like he would in person, "I don't know if you still want to, but you can see now that you definitely still have a place back home, Rogers. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. We don't always get along. Siberia showed that startlingly well. I never hated you and just know that if you want to come home all you have to do is grab this device and ask it to take you home. If not, I ask you at least send a message back to let us know you're okay. You are pretty missed. People miss their star-spangled hero, Cap."

Clark turned to Steve, "Looks like you have a decision to make."  
Steve looked over at him. He saw nothing but soft understanding on Clark's face.  
"I honestly don't know if I want to."  
"Really?" Clark looked surprised.  
"It would be the easier option. So easy to go back home. To where I'm known. Pick that battle right back up."  
"So why don't you?"  
Steve thought for a moment before starting, "Do you know how old I am, Clark?"  
"Early twenties?"  
"I am closer to 100 years old, son. I fought in World War Two against the Nazis in my world. I've always done things for everyone else. I've always fought for everyone else. My country. My friends. My planet. I haven't always been right, but I think I want to be a little selfish."  
"Selfish?"  
"Since coming here... it was like I got to find myself again. I got to be nobody. I got to choose who I wanted to be and who I didn't want to be."  
Clark hummed in understanding, "No expectations."  
"I feel almost at peace with myself since the first time I woke up in 2011. Thrust into a future I didn't understand with expectations on me I never anticipated. I accepted it all. I kept going. I've never stopped to just... be myself before. My whole life I've been a soldier. A commander. A public face. Here I can just be... me."  
"And you can't be yourself back home? Clearly your friends love you. They'd understand."  
"I'm sure eventually they would. I have some thinking to do, you're right. Thanks for being my sounding board."

Steve stood up and faced the viewing window, gaining the attention of everyone in there instantly. He gestured for them to come in. He walked back to Stark's box and picked it up along with the files.

One by one all the suits, and Lois, filed in. "I hope you're satisfied that this isn't dangerous and is, in fact, just messages from my friends. I'm taking this home now. Show's over."  
He turned his head to Clark, "Hey, Clark?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Tell 'em whatever you deem important. I trust you and I'll be in touch."  
"Let me know what you decide."  
"I will." And Steve pushed his way through and left for his apartment leaving Clark to deal with everyone else.

Steve had a decision to make.


End file.
